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Ole
Lukkøye INTERVIEW
For
obvious reasons the Cold War served as a major artistic blockade when it came
to East/West cultural and music exchange. In the West society and music
underwent a drastic change during the ‘50’s, ‘60’s and ‘70’s. What was going on
in the Eastern bloc was only know via word of mouth and subterranean commerce
between free radical musical elements. Today all that has changed drastically
as rock music has become not only more widely disseminated worldwide, but
homogenized as well. Such is the way of the world.
In
particular one of the most interesting developments has been the opening of the
vaults of the Russian rock archives. Many of the bands that recorded back in
the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, are now getting their material reissued today. Even more
importantly, current musicians from Russia (and elsewhere in East Europe as
well) are gaining exposure in the Western world. As the West has become a
corporate spawning ground for formulaic music and overproduction, the emergence
of these new Eastern bands has brought a new burst of creativity to the scene.
One of
the best new Eastern bands today is Ole Lukkøye from St. Petersburg, Russia.
Their leader is Boris Bardash, who at one time was also a member of the
legendary Russian band Rainy Season. Hans Joachim Irmler of Faust produced the
latest Ole Lukkøye album, and this collaboration would seem to bode well for
the future of the band.
The
following interview with Boris was done after the end of their most recent
dates in Germany, Hungary and Croatia.
Q:
As a Westerner, I’m quite interested to know at what age and year did you first
hear rock music in the former Soviet Union, and what was the first band you
liked?
I
was 11-12 years old (1976) when I became "ill" of rock music. In
those times it was hard to find records from the
west side of the
world (they were just on the black market). Mostly we copied music from tapes
to tapes (usually bad quality) ... Some names of bands: Beatles (of course),
Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Deep
Purple , Pink Floyd......
Q:
When did you play in your first rock band, and what kind of music did they
play?
We
formed our first school band- Strangers - in 1979. We played cover versions of
underground, but popular soviet bands like Time Machine, Aquarium and some
western songs, but very soon we started to make our own music.
Q:
Was there a scene back then for groups to play concerts, or in clubs, and make
records?
It
was a very hard situation for this type of activity, mostly concerts were half
legal or unofficial. Of course there was an "official" big scene of
sweet'n'stupid pop groups, but it was not really interesting for the more
"progressive" young people.
That
situation started to change in 1981 when the Leningrad Rock Club was founded.
It gathered all best unofficial bands and made a real push to create a rock
movement in USSR. But real changes came only with the start of the Gorbachev
era in 1986.
Q:
I know that you were formerly a member of Rainy Season. What RS albums did you
play on?
We
recorded first "tape" album of Rainy Season in 1986 (unreleased), but
the music we made in the following years was unfortunately was not recorded in
a studio. There is just one live compilation CD "Nostalgie" with our
participation. All another "real" albums the band made were done
after Andrey and I had left the band in 1989.
Q: During
that era was that type of space rock music or progressive music well
known in Russia? Was that before Glasnost, or after?
We
had a lot of friends - real music fans and collectors, so we could find any
music for listening. It was like a special circle of people. But really popular
were mostly hard rock and heavy metal (like everywhere, I think). OK, anyway
the most well known names here were Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, B.
Eno, Jethro Tull, Van der Graaf Generator, Frank Zappa, Grateful Dead...and it
was before Glasnost...
Q:
In what year did you first form Ole Lukkøye?
Spring
of 1989.
Q:
Did you have any specific Western band that influenced the music you made with
OL?
I
was very influenced at that time by some solo works of Peter Gabriel
(especially PASSION), Brian Eno, Jon Hassel, Dead Can Dance, Cocteau
Twins...
Q:
Does the name have an English translation?
The name
is actually translated to Russian and relates to Danish and Swedish mythology.
He was a Scandinavian type of pagan god of dreams. Literally it means something
like “Ole who closes eyes”.
Q:
In Russia today is there a good audience for music by bands like yours and
other electronic or experimental rock music?
Today
the situation here is difficult for this music (not for Pink Floyd or such
names of course). Mostly the scene consists of the big names of show business
and the pop rock mainstream.
Q:
Is there any media or radio that plays or promotes the sort of music OL makes
in Russia today?
Not
really. There are some small labels (for example Exotica in Moscow).
Q:
Are there many other bands now in Russia playing this sort of “space rock” than
there was originally, or is OL the main one?
I'm
not sure that we play "space rock", but I don't know of any other
bands here like OL.
Q:
How did you make contact with the people from Faust?
After
our concert at the Burg Herzberg Open Air Festival in Germany we got invited by
the Think Progressive label to record a new album at Hans Joachim Irmler's
studio.
Q:
I imagine the good people of Faust have helped you quite a bit to get
recognition outside Russia. How is the reaction different during concerts in
Germany as opposed to Russia?
If
you play in right place there is no big difference in reaction...We played just
now also in Croatia, it was great. The audience gets more excited than in
Russia or Germany.
Q:
I believe you just played in Hungary. I know a couple other bands there that do
some sort of space rock - Korai Orom and Galloping Coroners. Do you know these
bands and perhaps do joint concerts together?
Yes.
KO are our friends and they always help us to organize concerts in Hungary. We
also set up a concert for them in St. Petersburg.
Q:
Is there an actual scene and good size audience in the various East Euro
countries today for this type of music?
Yes,
I think so. We played several times in Hungary, in the Czech Republic, in
Poland, in Slovakia, now (in April) in Croatia and found at every performance a
very good reaction and new offers for more concerts.
Q:
After the end of this tour when you return to Russia, what are your plans – a
new studio album, more touring or?
We
decided to spend this summer for our private lives and rest because we have not
had a vacation for the 3 previous summers. Maybe we also will prepare something
fresh in the studio...
- Archie Patterson
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